Room 503 - Thursday Evening

[dojima_hime]

Dōjima was feeling a bit better after her chat with Hannibal, even if she did still want to shake a certain poet senseless.

It was not, however, enough to lessen her desire to binge on more junk food as she went over the handouts from today's Thaumaturgy class, and wince slightly at the meanings and uses of lilies.

Well, no one had ever tried to claim she was a sweet and harmless girl, at least...

[Door and post are open!]

Comments

[loverlyviolets]

There was a quick knock at the door, but there would be no one on the other other side should Dōjima answer it. There would be only a huge basket of red roses - six dozen to be exact - and



rather a lot of chocolates with some slightly floury fingerprints on the bottom box of the tower. The card read:

Bid me to live, and I will live

Thy gentleman to be; Or bid me love, and I will give

A loving heart to thee.

A heart as soft, a heart as kind,

A heart as sound and free As in the whole world thou canst find,

That heart I'll give to thee.

Bid that heart stay, and it will stay,

To honour thy decree; Or bid it languish quite away.

And 't shall do so for thee.

Bid me to weep, and I will weep

While I have eyes to see; And having none, yet I will keep

A heart to weep for thee.

Bid me despair, and I'll despair,

Under that cypress tree; Or bid me die, and I will dare

E'en Death, to die for thee.

Thou art my life, my love, my heart,

The very eyes of me, And hast command of every part,

To live and die for thee. -- R. Herrick

I am unwed again, and yours if you'll have me. Forgive me? - Romeo

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

At the knock Dōjima went over to the doorway, brow creasing in confusion when she looked up and down the hall and saw no one there.

What was there was... roses. Lots of roses. And shiny boxes.

It took her a few attempts to get everything out of the hall and into her room, at which point she sat down on the floor amidst the blooms to read the card.

If she kept giggling and blushing as she read it over and over again, well, that was her business.

[withoutverona]

Romeo waited in his room until he heard footsteps, the opening and closing of Doji's door, and what sounded like they might be happy noises across the hall.

Then he dared leave his room and tap tentatively on her door. "Dojima?"

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

There was a startled 'eep' from the other side of the door, and some rustling as she proceeded to almost trip over herself and the flowers. "Hai!" she yelled. "Yes! I mean, just a second, ah - it's open!"

[withoutverona]

He let himself in slowly, bashfully. "They got here?"

Brilliant observation, Romeo.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

She gave him a wry half-smile and gestured around the room. "Really, aijin? Did you buy the whole store?"

He wasn't forgiven yet, but a girl would have to have a heart of stone not to appreciate this.

[withoutverona]

"As much of it as I thought would fit on your side of the room," Romeo admitted unabashed. "And I didn't write the poem, but I thought that one fit nicely. If I had more, I would give you more."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"You don't have to give me lots of things," she sighed making space on the bed for both of them to sit. "Don't get me wrong, I like the flowers, a lot, but...I can't just pretend this whole thing didn't happen. I can't. I'm still mad at you."

[withoutverona]

"I wanted to give you things as a start," Romeo remonstrated, taking the seat. "I know we have a long road to walk, before you even think of trusting me again."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"It's a good start," she said softly as she touched one of the flowers. "And I do want to trust you, so I guess that's two steps in your favor."

[withoutverona]

"If I asked you for a picnic on the roof, anytime you want it, could that be a third?" Romeo asked, watching her carefully.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

There was another little half-smile, and she ducked her head under the pretense of playing with one of the roses to hide a small blush. "Maybe," she allowed. "I think that depends on how the picnic goes."

[withoutverona]

He blushed a little, a pleased smile crossing his face. "Sunday night?" he offered. "We will see then."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Monday," she countered, not exactly willing to let him set the rules for this. "And yeah, we'll see."

[withoutverona]

"Monday," Romeo agreed. He'd have to close the shop early, but the shop wasn't usually so busy, anyhow.

He glanced over at her, not sure if he should say more or if he should leave before his welcome was entirely worn out. He was a bit short on pretty words just then.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

Yurika picked at her blanket, unsure of what kind of small-talk was supposed to come after something like this. 'How's Angela?' 'How's Ben?' 'How long are you grounded for this time?' Yeah. Right.

"What time do you want me to swing by?" she asked instead. "Or should I wait for an escort?"

[withoutverona]

"Wait for an escort," Romeo answered instantly. "If you don't mind. I want to win you back properly, as much as I can."

There was a fascinating thread on his cuff; he twisted at it. "I don't want you to ever think I think I can take you for granted, at all."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"I don't mind," Yurika answered. "It's Monday night, it's not like I have other thrilling plans. That's why I picked it."

"It might take more than one picnic to convince me that you don't take me for granted," she admitted hesitantly. "I mean, well... you got married, Romeo, and I still don't understand how I got forgotten so easily. I don't know if I want to understand."

[withoutverona]

"How much do you remember of what I told you about how I came to get married the first time?" Romeo asked, honestly curious. It wasn't either of their favorite subjects, after all, but it did help to put marrying Angela in a lot more context.

"And I wouldn't want you back if you would forgive me for so little as a few sweets, a few flowers and a picnic. I know it was an insult to you, and I need to make it right."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"You're just encouraging me to play hard-to-get now," Yurika teased lightly, glancing over at him.

"I...I know marrying Juliet was an impulse. That you thought you had to do it then or get separated by your families, right?" she said slowly. It wasn't something Yurika tended to dwell on, least she get caught up on feeling inadequate against the incomparable Juliet.

[withoutverona]

"The chase is part of the fun, isn't it?" he asked, and for a second his tone was light before the surface gladness faded out.

"An impulse, yes. And it followed so closely on my feelings for Rosaline that, when I came to ask Friar Laurence to wed us, he thought I had spent the night with her."

This probably wasn't helping Dojima's insecurity, and Romeo stammered a little, realizing that. "I - I don't mean you'd be replaced so easily."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

No, it wasn't helping, and her posture stiffened. "So I should be happy not to be in Rosaline's place, then," she managed. "Fantastic."

[withoutverona]

Romeo shot her a look. "Rosaline's happy and alive," he reminded her. "She could not have less interest in me, and never has had any. That's not what matters."

"My point is," he resumed, because he had been thinking about this, "that was love, and Angela was the drink, really, but they both end with me saying words too fast because saying them felt romantic. I'm older now; I have no true excuse, and I do know I hurt you."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"I meant that I guess I should be happy I'm not so easily discarded, not anything about your cousin-in-law in particular," she sighed, "but it's not helping."

[withoutverona]

Romeo huffed out a quiet noise that would have been a laugh if there'd been any mirth in it. "I don't know what point I was even trying to make, really," he said. "Clearly I missed it, whatever it was."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

There was a pause, then: "Well, at least you knew the bride for more than a few days before marrying her this time?"

It was probably a poor attempt at a joke, but it was the best Yurika could come up with right now.

[withoutverona]

"I'm working my way up?" Romeo tried gamely. "I might last through a proper courtship, if I ever marry again."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"A proper courtship? So, you'll know her favorite color too? Meet the parents first?" she joked, looking down at her hands and grinning slightly. "I don't know, that's an awful big step. You might even know her middle name."

[withoutverona]

Romeo smiled himself. "With you, of course, I have a head start," he pointed out. "I know it's blue, your father loathes me appropriately, and ... if you have a middle name, it's one of your secrets."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"No middle name," she answered. "Unless you're going to make one up for me."

[withoutverona]

"But I like your name the way it is," Romeo answered reasonably. "So, no middle name."